1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates, in general, to golf clubs and, more specifically, to golf swing training devices.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
One of the more popular sports today is the game of golf. However, the swinging of a golf club properly in order to hit a golf ball accurately and with great distance involves a complicated series of movements which require a considerable amount of practice to perfect.
The proper golf swing involves a series of movements that begins with a back swing away from the ball and continues with a down swing having a weight shift and a hip turn that generates power and transfers the power to the shoulders, arms, hands, club shaft and club head, in that order. The hands and arms follow the lead of the lower body and thus are pulled down in a larger arc which gives the club head more time to accelerate. This causes a centrifugal force to be generated on the club head which leads to greater ball driving club head speed and thereby greater distance.
However, the timing and sequence of the above-described movements are easy to get out of order, especially with a conventional, stiff-shaft golf club. With the stiff-shaft golf club, it is not necessary to pull the club head into the hitting area; rather, it can be thrown, cast or pushed by the arms and hands alone with no assistance from the lower body at all.
In order to teach the proper sequence and timing of the movements in a proper golf swing, many attempts have been made to provide golf swing training devices which teach the correct swing. Such training devices include a golf club in which the golf club shaft is hinged at an intermediate point so as to bend under an improper movement during the swing.
A similar golf practice club includes a metal chain which is affixed to the end of a short shaft. A weight is affixed to the end of the chain which jerks the club if the down swing is started prematurely.
Although both of the above-described golf swing training devices contribute, with considerable practice, to the perfection of the golf swing, they present several disadvantages when used. For one, the hinged shaft or the weight at the end of the chain attached to the shaft create a danger for the golfer during the back swing since the club may flex or bend and cause the end of the club or the weight to strike the golfer. Concern by the golfer for such an occurrence undoubtedly will detract from total concentration on the proper golf swing and thereby reduce the overall effectiveness of the training device.
For another, a proper golf swing requires the generation of centrifugal force by the body of the golfer himself. In the above-described training devices, the swing of the weighted club generates additional forces by its weight which are not present in the swinging of a normal golf club. With the hinged shaft club, the hinge adds an additional lever to the golf swing which generates forces not occurring during a normal swing. Thus, both of the above-described golf training devices do not exactly simulate a proper golf swing when used to teach the proper sequence of movements.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a golf swing training device which overcomes the problems of prior art training devices in teaching the proper sequence of movements required in a golf swing. It would also be desirable to provide a golf swing training device which insures that the forces generated during the swing are generated completely by the body of the golfer himself. It would also be desirable to provide a golf swing training device which insures that all parts of the body, not just the arms and hands, are used in the golf swing. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a golf swing training device which presents no danger of injury to the golfer during its use.